


Not the Average Valentine's

by missingstars89



Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Fluff, Light Smut, Sort of? - Freeform, and some angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-10
Updated: 2018-02-10
Packaged: 2019-03-16 10:46:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 17,517
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13634715
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/missingstars89/pseuds/missingstars89
Summary: After a not so small spat, Caroline and Klaus find things to be tense between them but try to put their problems aside when a quest to find the cure leads them to Chicago. And as luck would have it, this small trip just so happens to take place on the most romantic day of the year.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [captndevil](https://archiveofourown.org/users/captndevil/gifts).



> Happy Valentine's Day lovely!! So I outlined like a million different ideas based on your prompts before settling on this one and I apologize in advance for how long this is! It seemed like no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't seem to shorten it. Sorry! This story kind of seemed to take a life of its own and all I hope is that it's kind of what you were looking for :P 
> 
> I hope you have a wonderful Valentine's! xx

Caroline walks in through her front door and is moving to put her keys down in the key bowl when pauses and tenses, sensing that somebody else is here. Seeing as she just saw her roommate working her shift at the coffee shop when she walked by a few minutes ago, she knows it can’t possibly be her.

She grips the keys tightly in her hands and immediately focuses her senses and a split second later, a now too familiar scent hits her, making her roll her eyes as she marches down the hall, following the scent directly to her room.

She should have known he would come looking for her after a week of avoiding him. Not that he’d exactly sought her out either much in the past week.

Scoffing, she opens her door and finds the original hybrid completely at ease, lounging on her bed as if it belonged to him, his hands folded across his stomach as he stared up at the ceiling, his lips quirking up into a smile when he hears her come in.

“What are you doing here, Klaus?” she says by way of greeting as she sets her bag down. “ _How_ did you even get in here?”

“Your senses have improved greatly. You sensed me before you picked up my scent,” he comments sounding almost pleased and she rolls her eyes again.

What, the last time she saw him he was yelling and being a jerky asshole and now he’s all smiles, acting like the last time they saw each other they hadn’t been yelling awful things at each other?

She quickly pushes those thoughts away. She’s lost enough sleep this entire week thinking about everything that happened that night.

“So you broke into my apartment and into _my room_ no less, so that you could test out how my senses have improved?” she asks irritably as she crosses her arms across her chest.

“Come now, love,” he chuckles as he finally sits up. “Do you really think so low of me as to break into your home?”

“Yes,” she answers without skipping a beat and watches as he quirks a brow.

She sees a flash of something -hurt?- that’s too reminiscent of that night in the ally.

_“I should have turned my back on you ages ago!”_

She tries to block out the memory, the image of him visibly flinching, the self-proclaimed most powerful creature on the planet flinching at her words. Maybe it should have made her feel some satisfaction, but just like now, all it made her feel was a stab of guilt that she doesn’t know what to make of.

“Do you?” he smirks but it doesn’t reach his eyes. “Well I hate to disappoint sweetheart, but as a matter of fact, your charming roommate was kind enough to invite me inside before she had to run.”

“And why would she do that?” she asks, pushing her feelings back and trying to focus on what he’s saying.

Her roommate was familiar with Klaus, having been introduced to him once when he showed up to bother her with ‘new work’ or whatever at the coffee shop where she worked, something he was wont to do, and she had seen the two of them together a few other times around campus or places like the library when again, Klaus would show up to bother her, but for her roommate to feel so comfortable so as to just let him hang around when neither of them were home considering she had never brought him over...

“I believe she’s under the impression that you’re spoken for,” he informs her all too happily, the spark returning to his eyes, smiling that smile that showcases his annoyingly perfect dimples. “By me.”

“ _You told her that you’re my boyfriend?!_ ” she yells, momentarily forgetting all her inner turmoils.

“Of course not, love,” he scoffs. “I detest such a juvenile term. _She_ was the one to suggest it, I merely didn’t bother to correct her.”

“Oh gee, well in that case,” she says sarcastically.

“You can’t hold me accountable for what your roommate’s deduced about the nature of our relationship based on her limited observations of our interactions,” he says in a too innocent voice. “Makes you wonder what exactly she’s observed doesn’t it?”

He adds this last part holding her gaze and she’s taken back to that night in the alley. His eyes bore into her own and she tries to suppress the memories of those same eyes looking at her so intently, so close, his nose grazing her own. Tries to suppress the memory of those same lips currently curled up into his trademark smirk, against her own. Tries to suppress the memory of how soft they were, how they coaxed soft sighs out of her and for those moments made her forget where she was and all the reasons she should not be tasting those raspberry lips with her own.

“Is there a reason why you’re here?” she asks exasperatedly as she shakes her head as if trying to shake the memories away as well.

They had already talked about what happened, or rather, fought about it. She didn’t want a repeat of that. And perhaps she didn’t want to deliberate anymore on the fact that maybe some of the things he’d yelled at her held some truth to them.

_“Yes, run away and hide because that’s what you’re best at isn’t it?” he snarls. “You are so incredibly brave and yet you cower in shame before your own desires.”_

He looks at her for a beat longer, almost as if he’s reading her thoughts and she wonders if he’s going to push it.

“Kol called,” he responds instead and she’s surprised by the stab of disappointment she feels.

But she quickly tells herself it’s better this way. It would only end badly otherwise.

“He’s got a new lead for us to follow.”

She raises her brows, a little surprised that he’s still so willing to include her in his plans after their last fight but then she feels a weird constriction in her throat because she knows the reason why he’s not keeping her out. He’d promised. For every step in this quest, she would be included.

She’s not sure what to say and can only nod her head, watching as he finally stands up.

“It will be an overnight trip so I might suggest packing a change of clothes. Our flight leaves in an hour,” he says as he starts making his way to the door.

“What? We’re leaving like right now??” she asks bewilderedly.

“I want to follow this lead before anyone else picks up on what we’re up to,” he replies turning to look at her. “Unless of course, you have other more pressing plans?” he questions, arching a brow. “I could always fill you in when I return.”

Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day and it’s not like she had any actual plans, but somehow spending what was supposed to be the most romantic day of the year with the enigmatic original after their last fight and _what_ their last fight all came back to didn’t seem like the ideal scenario.

But she knew he had a point. This was more pressing even if the last thing she wanted at the moment was to be trapped in close quarters like a plane with him.

“Fine,” she agrees more than a little reluctantly after a moment. “Where exactly are we going?”

At this, the corners of his lips finally quirk into a smile.

“Chicago.”

xxx

  
She’s never been to Chicago before and as Klaus drives them from the airport in the SUV he rented and she takes in the sights through the window, she wishes she had time to actually explore the Windy City. But unfortunately, this trip is not for leisure or visiting the tourist traps the way she would like. Something also tells her that the hybrid sitting beside her wouldn’t exactly be keen on being dragged to any of those “tourist death traps” as he was so apt to call them, again even if they were on better terms.

He’d promised to accompany with her to her first Mardi Gras that was coming up in just a few weeks, but now...now she wasn’t so sure that he still would.

He’d visited New Orleans own “tourist traps” with her when she’d first moved to the lively city, had taken it upon himself to show her all the sights, the food, the art, the culture, and share the dozens of stories and history that made the city so extraordinary. He’d done it all, tried it all, but she knew it was because he knew how broken she felt, not because he was anxious to do all those things.

She remembers how standing in the middle of the French Quarter listening to the street artists skillfully play jazz music one evening, it was the first time since she’d woken up to find that she was in transition and lost her mother shortly after, that she actually felt something outside of the anger, fear, sadness or even the numbness she had given into for the past few weeks. She remembers that night clear as day because for the first time she felt hope. Hope that she might smile and laugh again one day. Hope that she might actually be ok.

If he’d noticed anything then, he didn’t say so but when she’d turned and asked him if they could visit one of the places he’d mentioned during their walk earlier, he was unable to hide the surprise and something akin to relief that he’d quickly tried to hide before he smiled and joked that he could pencil something in.

She still remembers clear as if it were yesterday, how at the end of that week they’d agreed to work together instead of against each other for a nice change, and when she’d shaken his hand to seal their arrangement so to speak, trying to be as professional as she’d been taught, he’d smirked mischievously and held on a second too long and warned her to try not to fall in love with him. She was taken aback and was about to shoot some indignant remark until she saw the mirth dancing in his eyes in a way that seemed to light them up, and even though she rolled her eyes, his amusement was contagious.

She didn’t even realize she was smiling as she shook her head until she saw his smirk grow into an actual smile and saw a look that crossed his eyes that she couldn’t quite decipher that was gone too quickly, replaced with a mischievous and teasing glint as he’d muttered something else that had her resisting the urge to throw something at him.

But as she stood there, the whisper of a smile still lingering on her lips, her first real smile for the first time in weeks that felt like years, she knew she was going to be ok.

And as she looked up at him and met his gaze that had softened considerably, he was looking at her like he knew it too.

She glances at the same original whose eyes are now focused on the road ahead and thinks about all that’s changed since that night. All that’s changed since he first arrived in town, a threat to her and so many others she cared about.

He’d been her enemy then, and then he’d become an unlikely ally and now…

She remembers the feel of his lips, the scratch of his stubble against her skin that was suddenly too sensitive, that felt like it was on fire from his kisses, his touch. She remembers the way his arms banded around her, holding her close, remembers the way her fingers gripped his shoulders, trying to pull him closer.

He turns to look at her then, a questioning look clear on his face.

“Something on your mind, love?” he asks, interrupting her thoughts and she fights back a blush, realizing she’s been staring.

“Just thinking about today and why we’re here,” she lies, quickly looking away. “Do you think the sword’s really hidden here?”

His last attempt to retrieve the sword had proven to be unsuccessful with the ancient object being missing from where it was supposed to have been hidden.

Klaus shrugs and though she knows he’s trying to appear nonchalant about it, she can see the tension coiled in his shoulders. She understands why. There’s a lot at stake with finding this object. Not just for the original.

This sword was key in finding the cure for vampirism. The only cure that existed. Klaus knew that it was too dangerous for a cure to exist anywhere out there, even if there was only one cure. One was more than enough. With all of his enemies out there -and seriously the original had a lot- he knew he couldn’t just leave it lying around for any one of his enemies to get their hands on and use it against him or his family, to make them mortal so as to easily eliminate them.

But while Klaus would have a personal interest in the cure regardless for that reason alone, he was given an additional interest when Elena had reached out to her for her help. In a strange twist of fate, Kol had ended up crossing paths with Bonnie somewhere in Europe and although Caroline still didn’t know the full extent of _that_ relationship, apparently they had grown close enough that the other original confided in Bonnie about the cure. When Elena had then frantically reached out to Bonnie for help with her younger brother Jeremy, a member of Caroline’s former pack, worried for her adopted brother after members of the pack started falling ill and presenting with the same symptoms that she had. Symptoms that had ultimately led to her death mere days later no matter what they all, the pack, Bonnie, and doctors alike, tried. It was the same fate that these latest pack members had met but unlike her, they did not get the chance to wake up in transition and with an original determined to make that transition a successful one.

So, after hearing Elena’s frantic pleas after more members of the pack started falling ill and dying, Bonnie had confessed about the cure to the desperate doppelganger. Caroline had been the only pack member to fall ill with this mysterious illness -a spell from a powerful enemy named Silas, they’d later discovered- and survived. Well, she’d survived so to speak. She _had_ died, but she’d still survived.

She’d survived as a hybrid.

_Klaus’ first successful hybrid._

While Klaus certainly played an important role in her transition and ultimate survival, so did Elena. With Bonnie’s help, Klaus had discovered that it was the human doppelganger’s blood that was necessary in making the transition complete.

Unfortunately, Elena had met a tragic fate of her own just mere days later but because she too had died with one of the Salvatore’s blood in her system, she’d transitioned into a vampire. And just like that, Klaus had lost his way of making more hybrids

But while Klaus was furious with his younger brother for disclosing a secret that had the serious potential to end them and had thoroughly threatened the other original as a result, his interest had been piqued when Elena had come with an offer. Help her save her brother’s life by having her take the cure to turn him into a hybrid if it came down to it, and she would agree to give more blood donations -within reason- for Klaus to create his hybrid army that he had desperately wanted.

When Caroline had spoken to her old friend, asked her if she and Jeremy were both certain, Elena had assured her that they were.

_“So you trust Klaus?” Caroline asks after listening to the brunette’s reasoning and explanations._

_“No,” Elena replies firmly. “But I trust you. And Klaus...he listens to you.”_

_Caroline bites back a bitter laugh, thinking of their earlier argument over how he always does what he wants, consequences be damned._

_“Damon says I’m crazy and maybe I am, but I think that if anyone could get Klaus to listen outside of his equally insane family, it’s you, Caroline. I don’t trust Klaus. But I trust you.”_

While Silas had been defeated, somehow his spell was still affecting the pack and until they found a way -if they ever found a way- to stop it, Elena was ready to take other measures. She would do anything to save her younger brother, the only family she had left. Besides, she’d assured the blonde, she had never wanted to turn into a vampire. She wanted a mortal life, go to school, study a career and grow old. Caroline bit back the question as to what both Salvatore brothers had to say about the matter. Elena assured her didn’t see this as a sacrifice and maybe this way other members of the pack could also survive, she reasoned.

Caroline can feel the knot forming in her throat whenever she thought about her former pack. They’d basically exiled her from the pack after she’d become a hybrid and though she knew she would never return and be a part of the pack again even if other members decided to become hybrids. And even though many of them had hurt her and let her down at her lowest point, she remembers some of pack like Jeremy and Lexi who never turned their back on her and she can’t turn her back on them either. And maybe, she didn’t know how to completely turn her back on the rest of the pack even if they had so easily done so with her.

“If it’s not I suppose I can take solace in tearing out Kol’s liver for leading me in yet another fruitless hunt,” he smirks.

“I’m starting to get why you two require an ocean between each other,” she mutters as she glances out the window again, the sound of his chuckle filling the air and she has to admit to herself that it’s a nice change from the relatively silent trip they’ve had, both on the plane and in the car ride up until now.

He’d gone over the plan with her in the car ride from her place to the airport, had explained that their latest lead led them to believe that Tristan de Martel was in possession of the sword. Both Kol and Klaus had personally searched two different remote locations that Tristan owned but came up empty. It was Kol’s latest lead that was bringing them to his new residence in Chicago where they suspected the sword to be.

But once he’d explained what they were going to do here in Chicago, they’d fallen into a silence that was so palpable, she was thankful for the small distractions.

When he finally pulls up in front of an extremely luxurious hotel, she turns to look at him with an arched brow.

She knew they would be staying at a hotel, he had already explained as much earlier, she wasn’t expecting them to stay in a freaking 5 star hotel that probably cost as much for one night as her rent.

“Um, we’re staying here?” she asks a little skeptically.

“Do you not like this hotel?” he asks her curiously. “We can always go to another-”

“No, it’s not that,” she quickly explains. “I mean, it’s _nice_  obviously, but isn’t it a little too ostentatious? Shouldn’t we be, you know, flying under the radar?”

“On the contrary, sweetheart,” he grins. “If Tristan is half the so called king he claims to be, he’ll know that I’m in town before we show up tomorrow. Me checking into a hotel less ostentatious than this one would be too suspicious.”

_Of course._

The valet attendant hurries to help her out of the car while Klaus comes around the car while the other bell boys assist them with their bags.

She looks up at the beautiful building and is wondering just how much it costs for a single night in a place like this one when she feels Klaus step beside her.

“After you, love,” he says with a smirk as he motions for her to go ahead.

She knows what they’re here, knows this trip is far from romantic, but even as she repeats this to herself over and over, she can’t fight the fluttering in her stomach as she walks through the glass doors with the original hybrid right beside her, nor can she fight back the shudder down her spine when she feels his hand lightly brushes the small of her back as he directs her in the direction of the check-in reception.

And here she thought this would be just another average Valentine’s. This Valentine’s was shaping up to the most...yeah, it was shaping up to be the most ever.

                                                                                                               xxx

  
She shoots her roommate a quick text while Klaus checks them in and fights back the color rushing to her face when she sees a couple of messages from Elijah's girlfriend? She really didn't know what the situation was with them and she was kind of scared to ask for details since from she had quickly learned from Elena's doppelganger was that Katherine was not one to shy away from details. In fact, she kind of suspected that the more uncomfortable they made you, the more willing Katherine was to share.

 __ **K: So I hear Klausy took you away for Valentine's? How romantic. Didn't think he had it in him. He must really be trying to get in you. ;)  
**  
**K: I would warn you to use protection because getting pregnant on Valentine's is incredibly cliche but looks like you no longer have to worry about that.**

Caroline rolls her eyes as she reads the message. At least that’s one thing she’ll never have to worry about when she has sex with Klaus.  
  
_Wait- IF! Not WHEN. IF!! Great! Now you’re thinking about having sex with Klaus!_  
  
Her face feels hot all of a sudden.  
  
It’s not like she hadn’t thought about having sex with Klaus- it just usually tended to happen while she was ahem sleeping.  
  
Her phone vibrates as a new message from the brunette comes in.  
  
_**K: In case you need some tips or ideas ;)**_  
  
Attached was a link boldly labeled, ‘Best Sex Positions and Kama Sutra Tips’. Worse than the bold print? The bright neon drawing attached of a guy’s head buried between a woman’s thighs.  
  
She hates the way her stomach tightens at the thought of Klaus in that very position with her. Hates that reminder of the too many vivid dreams she’s had of just this, especially this last week. Hates the curiosity she can’t seem to stifle on if his tongue would feel as good between her legs as it did inside her mouth.  
  
“Ready, love?”  
  
She gasps and immediately whips her phone into her pocket and her entire face feels like it’s in flames as she forces herself to turn and face the original behind her even if all she wants to do is shovel her way to Canada or center of the earth and she’d be willing to use a spoon to do it too.  
  
She desperately hopes that he didn’t read or see anything-  
  
_-I'm going to **kill** Katherine-_  
  
-but when she meets his gaze, she can almost sigh in relief when she doesn’t see any of the wicked amusement or smugness she would expect to see if he knew what was on her phone. No, instead he merely quirks a brow and looks at her a little confused.  
  
“Are you alright?” he asks, brows furrowed slightly in concern.  
  
“Fine,” she answers too quickly and in a voice that's perhaps a little too high. “I’m great."  
  
He looks at her like he doesn't believe her but he doesn’t press.  
  
"So,” she claps her hands together. “Are well checked in?”  
  
He looks at her for a moment longer before he nods and offers her a sleek keycard before he motions towards the elevators for what she swears is the most awkward and longest elevator ride of her life.  
  
He doesn’t say a word either and she wonders if he’s caught up in his thoughts about retrieving the sword and what comes next and she silently berates herself for letting herself get caught up and distracted by other thoughts that were less than helpful to their mission.  
  
The elevators stops on the very top floor and she follows him down the hall until he stops in front of a door and she’s just about to ask which room was hers when he steps back and motions for her to go ahead.  
  
“Wait-” she sputters. “You didn’t just get _one_ room did you?”  
  
His smirk is all the confirmation she needs but before she can protest and tell him he better march downstairs and get them another room, he’s speaking again.  
  
“Relax, love,” he says and she detects a hint of amusement in his voice. “It’s the presidential suite. We each have our own room. I thought it would be more...convenient this way.”  
  
She knows what he means. It’s safer this way.  
  
“Oh,” she nods a little sheepishly. “Okay then.”

She rolls her eyes slightly at his amused smirk as she walks past him into the room, her eyes widening slightly at the large and incredibly luxurious room that was bigger than her entire apartment.

_Of course he had to get probably the fanciest hotel room in probably the fanciest hotel in all of Chicago._

The ceiling to floor glass windows also gave an incredible view of the city and for just a second, she forgets that she’s going to be sharing a close living space with the original hybrid until she hears him quietly shut the door.

“Rooms are over there,” he says. “You can pick whichever you like.”

She looks back at him and finds him watching her, like he’s waiting for what she will say next. She hesitates for a beat too long and that seems to be the answer he needs.

“Right well,” he clears his throat. “I should probably call Elijah and make sure things haven’t been burned to the ground.”

“Yeah,” she nods, tries to think of what to say. “I um think I’m going to jump into the shower.”

She immediately cringes.

_Seriously? Couldn’t have thought of literally anything else Caroline?”_

“You know, wash the airport smell off of me,” she adds on quickly. “It’s all I can smell with these damn heightened senses.”

_Stop talking Caroline!_

He nods and though he doesn’t say anything, she almost swears she sees the corners of his lips twitch up in amusement but it’s gone so quickly, she’s not entirely sure she didn’t imagine it.

“I’ll leave you to it,” he finally says. “Feel free to order anything from room service if you’re hungry. It’s on me so feel free to splurge.”

“Are you not going to eat?” she asks quickly.

He gives her an almost wry smile.

“Not tonight. I need to make sure I fit into my outfit for tomorrow night,” he tries to joke but the humor doesn’t reach his eyes. “Good night, Caroline.”

She wants to say something, anything, ask him to join for her dinner, ask him if they can talk about anything, everything, but the words are all lodged in her throat with no escape.

“Good night, Klaus.”

As she closes the door behind her, she rests her head against the cool wood and releases a soft sigh.

She’s not sure what just happened out there. Then again, she wasn’t sure what was happening between her and the original hybrid anymore lately.

_Why does it all have to be so confusing?_

She closes her eyes and smiles wryly. Things were so much easier when she hated him. And that was just it wasn’t it?

Things are so confusing because she no longer hates him. Hadn't hated him for a while truth be told, and to quote a classic and personal favorite movie of hers: _Not even close. Not even a little bit. Not even at all._

xxx

Sleep seems to be evading her that night. It’s the middle of the night and she’s wide awake and growing increasingly frustrated with every toss and turn.

She wonders if he’s awake too or if sleep has been kinder to him. She hasn’t heard a single noise from his room in a couple of hours but maybe he’s just laying in bed as wide awake as her. Despite her burning curiosity, she doesn’t dare get up to find out.

While sleep has been harder to come by this entire week, tonight seems to be infinitely worse knowing he’s sleeping in the next room. Maybe it’s because having him so close after a week of being the furthest apart they’ve been since she left Mystic Falls in every sense, she realizes how much she’s missed him. Her enemy turned unlikely ally...her friend...

The darkness slips into a new dawn and still she remains as wide awake as ever.

xxx

The next morning, Caroline wakes up to the sound of knocking on the front door and it takes her a second before she remembers where she is.

She hears voices outside and sits up, almost sighing in relief when she recognizes Klaus’ voice to be one of them. A quick glance at the clock has her eyes widening, realizing it’s almost noon and so she quickly scrambles out of bed and hurries to get ready.

She can’t remember the last time she slept in this late and she can’t believe she slept in today of all days.

When she steps out of her room a few minutes later, she stops, surprised for a moment. Half the table is filled with various food platters, it almost resembles a small buffet.

Klaus looks up at her when he hears her door open, his lips quirking into a small smile.

“Good morning sleepyhead,” he says teasingly and she can feel herself blush a little.

“Yeah, sorry about that,” she apologizes sheepishly. “I kinda blame that insanely comfortable bed,” she tries to joke and he smiles.

“I wasn’t sure if you’d be hungry when you woke so I ordered a few items in case,” he explains pointing to the various trays.

“What, like half the menu?” she teases, eyeing all the food.

He chuckles and looks away and if she didn’t know any better, she would say that Klaus Mikaelson is a little embarrassed right now.

“I wasn’t sure what you would like best,” he explains with a slight shrug before clearing his throat almost awkwardly. “If you’re not craving any of the options I’ve selected, I can always order something else-”

“No, this is perfect,” she assures him. “Thank you.”

He nods and manages a small smile before he’s shrugging into his jacket.

“Are you going somewhere?” she asks with furrowed brows.

“Yes.”

Her stomach sinks a little.

“Rebekah’s asked me to meet her to help her with a small matter before this evening since I suspect we won’t be hanging around the city for too much longer once we’ve retrieved what we’re here for.”

She’d forgotten that Rebekah was also here in the city for a couple of weeks.

He looks up at her, meets her gaze but it’s unreadable.

“I should only be a few hours. I’d ask you to join me but I know how fond of my sister you are,” he says teasingly and she rolls her eyes slightly.

While they were nowhere near the enemies they started off as, Caroline wouldn’t exactly call them friends yet either.

“Did you plan on going out to see some of the sights?” he asks.

“Uh maybe next time,” she smiles with a somewhat awkward smile. “I should probably call Bonnie and catch her up. See if maybe she has any tips for us for tonight.”

Tonight was the 'St. Valentine’s Masquerade Ball' that the de Martel’s were throwing at the home that they suspected the sword was being kept. While she couldn’t believe at first that ancient vampires actually threw things like Valentine’s Day parties, Klaus had explained that it was merely an excuse for them to flaunt their wealth and supposed power. She couldn’t resist quipping that it must be something that the older vampire and the original had in common then and he’d rolled his eyes but she could see a hint of amusement in his eyes.

Although the older vampires, the first vampires of their lines actually, and the originals didn’t have a good relationship, nowhere near it in fact, Klaus had still received an invitation because according to Klaus, what use was flaunting your wealth and power if you weren’t flaunting it to the people that truly mattered and he’d laughed when she said this vampire sounded like a total pretentious douche bag.

Pretentious douche bag or not, he’d given them the perfect opportunity to slip into his residence and seek out the sword and that’s all they needed.

She was nervous, truth be told, to attend such a fancy event filled with nothing but older and powerful supernatural creatures, but if she were being entirely honest, lately she wasn’t sure if she was more nervous about attending with Klaus after the line they’d crossed and managed to terribly mess up.

And as she watches him nod, giving her a smile that appears strained at best, she thinks how she hates how awkward things have become between them now.

She misses their easy banter and surprisingly easier conversations. She misses _him_. And wasn’t that just a totally sobering realization?

A part of her is still angry at him for the way he’d acted that night, for some of the things he’d said, but an even bigger part of her is tired. Tired of avoiding him. Tired of the distance between them.

But as she stands there, picking her brain for the words to say, the words to fix things, to bridge this immeasurable distance between them, she comes up empty.

“If you need anything, don’t hesitate to give me a call,” he tells her. “I’ll have my phone on me the entire time.”

She nods.

“Have fun,” she says with the most convincing smile she can manage.

_“You are so incredibly brave and yet you cower in shame before your own desires.”_

And as he leaves her alone with her thoughts, she can't help but think with a soft sigh that maybe the original hybrid was right.

 


	2. Chapter 2

“Hey Care!”

Caroline smiles at the image of her best friend smiling at her through her phone screen.

“Hey Bon,” she greets happily.

“How’s everything? Are you guys all set for tonight?” Bonnie questions.

“Yeah, we’ve got a plan all hashed out, just need to get through the actual ‘carrying out the plan’ part without getting you know, killed or worse,” she tries to joke.

“Everything will be fine,” Bonnie tries to reassure her. “Kol’s told me the plan and I think it’ll work. It would be so much easier if it didn’t have a cloaking spell so I could track it,” she adds with a frown.

“Yeah, but on the bright side, it might work to our advantage if they can’t track it either you know?” she tries to reason and the brunette concedes she has a point.

“So what are you doing in the meantime?” Bonnie asks. “Klaus have you pouring over books for the next step?”

“No,” she sighs. “He’s out with his sister probably dangling someone from a balcony by their toes or something,” she tries to joke with a slight eye roll but it at all strained even to her own ears.

She hopes that the speakers did a better job of masking her voice but-

“Did something happen between you two?” Bonnie wonders, always the ever perceptive one.

How did she even begin to answer _that_ question?

“What do you mean?” she tries to ask innocently.

Bonnie, of course, isn’t buying it.

“Care, you haven’t been able to lie to me since the sandbox when you kidnapped and buried Ms. Snuggles. Do you really think you’re going to start fooling me know?” she asks with an arched brow.

Caroline sighs, wondering if the sound sounds as defeated and miserable to her friend as it does to her.

“What’s going on?” Bonnie gently presses.

She knows Bonnie can be as stubborn as her sometimes and isn’t going to drop this but maybe some part of her is relieved to have someone to talk to about this. It’s been her alone with her thoughts for long enough now.

Sucking in a small breath in an attempt to both stall and gather her thoughts, she looks away from the screen almost sheepishly.

“What would you say if I told you that I kind of, sort of, kissed him?” she asks, feeling her face flush. “Well, I think _he_ kissed me first, it all happened so fast, but then I was the one pulling him back for more because even though I was so angry at him, it felt _really_ good to kiss him, and I don’t know, it all happened so fast. One minute we’re yelling at each other and he’s being a total _jerk_ and the next thing I know, we’re _making out_ in a dirty alley.”

She’s rambling but now that she’s talking about what happened out loud, she can’t seem to stop the words from tumbling from her lips. One after the other and if every word were a drop of water, soon she’d be drowning in her own personal ocean.

“And everything’s been so _ugh- awkward_ and things can already be awkward enough after a first kiss but this is _Klaus_ and I’m well _me_ so it’s like a billion times more awkward! And it totally doesn’t help that afterwards we fought _again_ and I said some really awful stuff to him and he was a total jerk again but he also- he also said some things that were just so...so true. And now it’s like we don’t even know how to be in the same room anymore without it being weird.”

She finally looks up at the screen to find Bonnie looking at her with raised eyebrows, the surprise written clear on her face.

“Wow,” Bonnie finally says.

“I know,” she says almost miserably.

“So this was your first kiss since when? Since he turned you into a hybrid?” Bonnie wonders.

“What?” she furrows her brows. “No, it was our first kiss as in ever.”

“Wow,” Bonnie says clearly surprised.

“What?”

“Nothing,” the brunette shakes her head. “I guess...I don’t know I guess I just thought you guys had already at least kissed since we were still in Mystic Falls.”

“What?!” she exclaims. “I was with Tyler back then!”

“Yeah but you guys broke up for a bit and you and Klaus always seemed to be hanging out,” Bonnie shrugs.

“That’s because I was always asked to distract Klaus remember?” she points out dryly.

“Yeah,” Bonnie nods.

“But?” she probes, knowing there’s more that her friend is thinking.

“Sometimes when I ran into you guys, it seemed like you guys were just two regular people hanging out and not so subtly flirting. And I know you’re a good actress when you want to be but it seemed like you were enjoying yourself sometimes too and not just because you were acting like you were,” Bonnie admits. “And don’t even get me started on all the _eye-sex_ you guys had going on!”

“ _There was no eye-sex!_ ” she protests, furiously blushing. “And we are _so_ getting off topic right now!”

“You’re right, sorry,” Bonnie apologizes with a small laugh. “Ok so walk me through this. You and Klaus are fighting, then you’re kissing, and then you’re fighting again?”

“Pretty much.”

“Yeah, you know I’m going to need a lot more than this right?”

And so, with a resigned sigh, she starts telling her friend everything.

She tells Bonnie about how angry the original had been after she’d nearly been killed. Scratch that, he’d been _livid_ . She tells her how Klaus had snapped the younger vampire’s neck after he’d failed to keep her with him _outside_ and away from the danger like he’d ordered. Tells her how he’d shown no remorse even after two of his other vampires came to take the lifeless vampire’s body away -her _friend’s_ body away- and it had just made her angrier.

When he’d ordered her to get into the car, she’d merely ignored him and turned around and started walking the other way. She hadn’t made it more than a few steps when the original had suddenly been in front of her.

“One minute we’re yelling at each other, he basically calling me a stubborn child and me basically calling him a controlling asshole,” she laughs humorlessly.

“And the next minute the two of you are kissing,” Bonnie says.

“Yeah,” she sighs.

She hadn’t even realized when they’d gotten so close, so dangerously close as the two had shouted more than insults at each other.

_“I’m trying to keep you safe!” he growls and even in the dark, this close, she swears she sees an almost desperate gleam in his eyes. “Do you think I enjoy being a witness to your demise?” he all but shouts but there’s a raw vulnerability there that she doesn’t know what to make of. “I have already had to witness your death once, I refuse to do so again.”_

_She’s taken aback by his words but not as much as him and she knows he never meant to say that out loud._

_“I swore to you that I would always keep you safe,” he quickly continues, scrubbing a hard hand down his face, as if he were growing frustrated all over again. “So why can’t you just bloody let me?!” he accuses angrily and it spurs her own anger._

_“It’s not like I went in there looking to die or get tortured! Did you ever stop and think that maybe, just maybe I was trying to keep you safe too?!”_

_She almost slaps a hand over her mouth. She hadn’t meant to say it out loud._

_She sees it then, the realization in his eyes and some of the anger seems to melt away. And he’s looking at her with that raw vulnerability again and she almost wishes he would look at her with that anger again because the anger she can deal with. But this…_

_He’s looking at her like he doesn’t know what to make of her either, doesn’t know what to make of her confession and for a second it’s all too much but then she feels his hand wrap around her waist and she’s not fighting it and she’s not sure if she’s lifting herself up on her toes or he’s ducking his head first._

_All she knows is the feel of his lips pressing against hers with a desperation that she’s certain mirrors her own. His arms band around her, holding her closer, like he can never hold her close enough, and her fingers are gripping into shoulders so tightly she thinks she hears a tear but she can’t focus on that. She can only focus on the way his body fits perfectly against hers, the way his lips devour hers like they’re all he’s ever needed. He’s suddenly tearing his lips away and she can’t stop the soft whimper of protest that escapes her and he’s looking at her again, looking like he maybe wants to talk but talking is too hard and they’ve already said enough. She’s already said enough. So she’s pulling him back to her and he comes willingly, her lips easily finding his again, hungrily, desperately, like even a million kisses and all the time in the world would never be enough._

“Do you need a moment alone?” Bonnie says teasingly.

“Shut up,” she blushes.

“So how’d you guys go from a steamy make-out session to fighting again?”

Caroline’s shoulders sag as she thinks about their second fight.

“I don’t know,” she says. “Everything just happened so fast and maybe I wasn’t entirely fair to him,” she admits, barely keeping the regret out of her voice. “I don’t know, I was still so mad at him for hurting Josh and being a jerk and I was also confused, because this is _Klaus_ we’re talking about and he’s done so many terrible things but...”

“But?” Bonnie presses.

“I’ve also seen the good in him, Bon,” she admits. “And even though I can’t ignore the terrible things he’s done, I also can’t ignore the good. I saw glimpses of it back in Mystic Falls and I tried so hard to ignore it, to keep reminding myself of all the horrible things he’d done. But then everything happened and it’s like, ever since I moved to New Orleans I’ve seen this entire other side of him that I had only seen glimpses of in Mystic Falls and I didn’t know how to ignore it anymore and it scared me so I kept pretending but I...I care about him.”

She hasn’t said the words out loud, has barely admitted it even to herself, and she can feel her face heat with the confession. But she knows it's the truth.

She cares about him. She cares about him and just hadn’t allowed herself to accept it and maybe it terrifies her to realize just how much she's come to care about the original she had tried for so long so desperately to hate.

She glances at Bonnie, finds her friend looking at her with an almost sympathetic smile.

“I know, Care,” she says gently.

And that was _so_ not the reaction she was expecting from her friend.

“What?” she gapes. “What do you mean you _know_?”

Bonnie laughs, a truly amused laugh.

“Like I said, Care. I know you but I think anyone could see that you were starting to care about Klaus even since we were in Mystic Falls.”

There’s no judgment anywhere there, only a type of understanding.

Caroline feel her cheeks flush more brightly.

“Oh.”

“I think you’re the only one who couldn’t see it. Or maybe it’s that you didn’t _want_ to see it.”

Bonnie chuckles.

“I know you’re stubborn, but I’m still surprised it took you this long to accept it.”

She shoots her a friend a playful glare before shaking her head.

“I was…”

“Scared?” Bonnie offers and she nods almost sheepishly. “I get it. This is still _Klaus_ we’re talking about and it’s already scary enough falling for someone, how much more so when the person you’re falling for is a cranky original hybrid?”

She almost laughs but the laughter gets stuck in her throat when she processes Bonnie’s words.

She’s not falling for Klaus- _she can’t._ Right?

But the truth seems to hit her with the weight of a million bricks.

_Maybe you already have..._

She’s spent so long trying to keep her feelings about him at bay, so long trying to keep her heart guarded after all the heartbreak and loss she endured...is it possible that she’d fallen for him without realizing it?

“For the record, I would be willing to bet everything I own that he cares about you too,” Bonnie adds with a hint of a smile. “I mean, in whatever weird Klaus cares about people. But… I was there, Care,” she adds, and her voice quivers just a little. “When he showed up after you were shot with that silver bullet. And then when you suddenly got sick and nothing was working.”

She wants to reach out and hug her friend as she sees the girl blink the tears away and she feels the tears burn in her own eyes.

“I saw his face when he saw you lying on your bed and it was clear that we were losing you. When you died,” her voice cracks. “We knew that you were in transition because you’d died with his blood in your system. But we also knew that unless we could find a way to make the transition successful, it wouldn’t matter because you would die anyway.”

Because none of his other attempts at making hybrids had been successful. They had all died shortly after.

“I’ve never seen Klaus like that,” Bonnie recalls. “It was like multiplying his intensity by a million but I knew if anyone could find a way to make this work, to save your life, it would be him. So that’s why I agreed to help him.”

The brunette looks up at her again, the tears still shining in her eyes.

“When he figured out that doppelganger blood was needed to make the transition successful, he went to Elena’s house. Damon and Stefan didn’t trust him and Elena was naturally wary...I’ve never seen him so desperate. He _begged_ Elena,” Bonnie recalls and Caroline thinks she’s forgotten how to breathe, how to think.

She had never heard any of this before and she thinks about how angry he’d been that night and realizes it may not have been anger at all…

“I always used to worry about what his intentions were with you, if he saw you as nothing but a pawn in whatever twisted game he was playing, but after that I knew...he cared about you. Like _actually_ cared about you,” Bonnie says. “And from what you tell me, it sounds like he still does.”

She thinks about all that Bonnie just told her. Thinks about all that he’d done for her even after he’d helped save her life. All the little things that she’d tried to write off at first as him ensuring that his only hybrid didn’t break beyond repair so she’d be of no use to him. She’d been so hurt and angry and broken she didn’t let herself give him the benefit of the doubt at first but then...then she hadn’t allowed herself to dwell on her complicated feelings for the man who’d she’d known as an enemy. Who’d hurt her friends, ran Tyler out of town...

“You know, I used to worry about you too,” Bonnie confesses. “When I saw you two together. Not just because I was worried that he might hurt you, but because the longer you two spent together, it seemed like there was a part of you that was starting to care about him too.”

As she sits there, thinking back on everything, she thinks she knows it too. Some part of her had known and it terrified her so much that she ran away from it.

_Just like he said._

“I don’t know what to do,” she admits.

“I think you do,” Bonnie smiles gently. “And how convenient that it’s Valentine’s Day too.”

She shakes her head with a watery smile.

“You seem oddly okay with this?”

Bonnie shrugs.

“I’ll always worry about you because you’re my best friend Care and I don’t want you to ever get hurt but I think I’ve known this has been coming for a long time now,” the brunette confesses. “I’m actually surprised it took this long. But it kind of helped me wrap my head around it. It doesn’t mean I won’t find a really creative way to desiccate him if he breaks your heart,” she adds sternly and Caroline can’t help the laugh that bubbles out of her.

She hears someone at the door just then and quickly looks up before looking back at Bonnie, her eyes slightly wide and her stomach clenching in anticipation.

“He’s back,” she breathes out, her lips turning up into an involuntary smile.

“Good luck,” Bonnie grins. “And Happy Valentine’s Day,” she adds with a wink.

“Happy Valentine’s Day,” she smiles.

She hangs up, her heart thrumming wildly as she hears the door open.

xxx

Unfortunately, it’s not Klaus that’s returned but rather, it’s another original.

“Rebekah?” she asks in both surprise and confusion, trying to keep the disappointment out of her voice.

She raises her brows questioningly when she sees two individuals wheeling in a small rack carrying what appear to be dresses.

“The one and only,” the other blonde smirks.

“What’s going on?” she questions. “Where’s Klaus?”

“Nik is attending to a few matters as a favor to me and as a favor to him, I volunteered to help you pick a dress for this evening.”

“I already have a dress.”

“And I’m sure it’s the finest dress that Mystic Falls ever did see,” Rebekah says arrogantly and she rolls her eyes. “I helped Nik select these so the least you can do is come look at them.”

“Wait- Klaus went _dress shopping_ with you?”

“You really are intent on wasting time with ridiculous questions aren’t you?” the original huffs. “He called me yesterday while you two were still in New Orleans and asked me to help him with options for you to wear tonight. And trust me, if you have any type of attachment to whatever dress you wore, you would be wise in selecting one of these as it will probably end up in ruins by the end of the night.”

Resisting the urge to roll her eyes again, she takes in the dresses as they’re pulled out of their garment bags and she almost feels her jaw drop. They definitely not an off the rack one like the one she brought. To say they’re gorgeous was an understatement.

Rebekah smirks smugly, as if reading her thoughts.

“Now, we don’t have all night so let’s get started shall we?”

xxx

In the end, Caroline ends up picking a sleeveless crimson floor-length gown with beautiful rosette and button details on the top. It also has a deep v-neck and high front slit that makes her feel both elegant and sexy. The dress is also light enough and gives her plenty of room to move in case she has to fight off a vampire or two.

She feels the fluttering in her stomach again as she applies the last of her make-up. She’s been feeling it all evening since Rebekah left, especially since she heard Klaus get back about an hour ago while she was working on her hair.

They hadn’t talked since he had gotten back, but she could hear him getting ready in the other room. It’s not a date, she knows it’s not a date, but that still hadn’t stopped the damn fluttering in her stomach any less.

She hears his door open and hears him step out and she sucks in a small breath, glancing at the clock and knowing it’s time.

She doesn’t know what she’s most nervous about. Trying to retrieve the sword or facing Klaus after her sort of epiphany about her feelings for the original. She’s nervous about what she’ll say to him and maybe she’s also scared. Scared that she’s too late.

She adjusts a few fly-aways and checks over her lipstick one more time and deciding she’s stalled long enough, she grabs her small clutch and and black beaded mask and steps out to where she knows the original is waiting.

Klaus turns and looks up from where he’s standing tucking something into his inside pocket of his suit jacket and she feels her breath catch in her throat at the way he’s looking at her. Despite the distance he’s kept since they came on this trip, he’s unable to hide the longing and hunger in his gaze and she feels a shiver run down her spine as his eyes drink her in from head to toe. It’s only fair, she supposes, given how she does the same with him, taking in every detail of how handsome he looks in his fitted black tux that’s perfectly tailored to him.

“You’re stunning,” he finally says, his voice a bit huskier than normal and she feels her cheeks warm.

“Thank you,” she replies almost shyly, feeling like she’s back in high school, about to go out on her first date.

 _This isn’t a date_ she reminds herself.

He takes her by surprise then, when he turns to her again, handing her a beautiful red rose that matches her dress. She looks up at him in surprise and he smiles.

“Consider it a small token of appreciation for agreeing to work with me, especially tonight of all nights since I know how fond you are of this particular holiday,” he says, looking completely at ease to the casual onlooker but she can see a hint of nerves and perhaps weariness in his eyes.

She takes the rose, her fingers brushing against his as she does, and she gives him a warm and genuine smile.

“Thank you,” she says earnestly. “For the dress too even though I don’t even want to know how you seem to know my exact measurements,” she teases and he grins. “I _did_ put Ryan Gosling on hold for you but I guess it was worth it.”

He laughs, a genuine laugh that she’s missed so much.

“I beat out Ryan Gosling? I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“You know Ryan Gosling?” she gapes at him.

“Not personally, no,” he chuckles.

“But you know who Ryan Gosling is?” she presses.

“I may be the most powerful creature on the planet love, but that doesn’t mean I live under a rock,” he scoffs but she can hear the amusement in his voice.

She rolls her eyes with a laugh that’s almost relieved because for the first time since their fight a week ago, she doesn’t feel that distance between them. She meets his gaze, warmer than it’s been this entire trip and she wonders if he’s thinking the same thing.

She doesn’t hesitate when he offers her his arm.

xxx

Caroline gapes at the large mansion when the car pulls up in front. Klaus hired a car service to take them and has another car ready with their packed bags in a nearby location so they can make a quick escape if necessary. He hoped that it would all be a smooth transition, but he always planning ahead.

She smiles at the attendant as he helps her step out of the car as Klaus comes around and once again offers her his arm that she again takes with no hesitation. The two walk up the stairs arm in arm and as she catches a glimpse of their reflection in one of the large mirrors by the entrance, she understands why they’re drawing so many eyes.

Maybe it’s the dress, or the dark mask that matches his tux so perfectly (and coincidentally, his red and black mask complement her dress beautifully), or maybe it’s his confidence that’s contagious, or maybe it’s a combination of it all, but walking through those doors with their arms linked, they look positively regal. The queen to his king.

He catches her eyes through the mirror and gives her a sexy smirk that has a surge of heat shooting straight to her core. In that moment, it’s hard not to imagine what it would be like for him to take her in front of a mirror with their eyes locking the way they are now as she took him in.

She feels her cheeks heat and forces herself to push those thoughts back. Maybe there would be time for that later. Right now, she needed to focus on what they’re here for.

He leads her deeper into the room where other couples are either dancing or standing around talking.

She quickly scans around the room, notices Lucien talking to Aurora de Martel, Tristan’s sister, across the room. She catches his eyes and he winks at her making her roll her eyes. It’s all part of the act though.

Lucien, an old friend of Klaus’ and the first of his sire line, was secretly working with Klaus and was here to help them carrying out the plan. At the right time, he would create a distraction to create the perfect opportunity for Klaus and Caroline to slip away to search for the sword undetected. With his help, they had gotten a blueprint and layout of the place and had narrowed it down to three likely rooms where it could be. Lucien had also hidden the fake sword that they would leave in place of the real one, courtesy of Kol, so that they would not immediately notice the sword was missing and want to know the reason why.

It all seemed like a simple enough plan, but didn’t they always say easier said than done for a reason?

“Alright, love?” Klaus murmurs in her ear so low that only she would be able to hear.

She knows he’s only asking because he’s concerned, but the feel of his warmth breath fanning against her skin has another shiver running down the length of her spine.

“Yeah,” she tries to reply nonchalantly, looking up at him and trying to give him a reassuring smile.

“Good evening,” she hears a deep accented voice from beside her just then and feels Klaus stiffen almost imperceptibly.

The host of the hour had arrived.

“Niklaus, I am pleased that you could make it,” he says with a smile that Klaus lazily returns. “And with your beautiful companion no less.”

She keeps her eyes fixed on the ancient vampire in front of her, doesn’t shy away from his scrutinizing stare that she’d been subjected to when she’d briefly met him when he’d visited New Orleans weeks ago. Klaus had warned her that Tristan and the others would be curious about her because of her hybrid status but they would also be threatened by it.

_“They will already see you as a threat simply because of what you are and your association to me,” he says as serious as she’s ever seen him. “Do not falter. Be confident and do not let them sense any sign of weakness. Show them that you are the very threat they fear and can do much, much worse than they can ever imagine. Believe it, and so will they.”_

She gives him a lazy smile that mirrors that of the original beside her.

“She hasn’t tired of me yet,” Klaus smirks, causing her to laugh.

“You have your perks,” she quips cheekily, turning to look at him and now it’s his turn to laugh.

“I am happy to see that your transition has worked out favorably for you,” Tristan interjects, looking at her again. “Immortality suits you.”

“I think so too,” she grins.

Tristan gives her a smile that is strained at best as he nods.

“Well, I best greet the other guests,” he says. “Perhaps I could steal her from you later to share a dance?” he asks looking at Klaus and Caroline has to refrain from rolling her eyes.

“Maybe,” she answers, knowing Klaus was going to wait for her to respond. “If I’m not too tired.”

“Yes,” Tristan blinks, a little taken aback. “Of course.”

He excuses himself then and Caroline hears the sound of Klaus’ quiet laughter.

“What?” she asks, turning to look at him.

“You really are stunning,” he shakes his head, an almost fond smile on his face that makes her blush a little.

She meets his warm gaze, his blue dancing with amusement and something else and he's looking at her in that way again. That way that makes her feel like she's the only person he can see and a part of her wants to run away and hide but she's done running.

“Do you want to dance?” she asks without thinking but even once the words are out, she doesn't try to take them back.

She's done running.

He blinks at her, the surprise evident in his face and she almost laughs, if only she wasn't so nervous as she waits for his reply.

He seems to snap out of his momentary shock and studies her eyes for a brief moment and she wonders what he sees in them, because then his lips are quirking into a smile that showcases his unfairly disarming dimples and maybe it makes that fluttering in her stomach increase tenfold.

"It would be my honor," he replies at last.

Despite his cheesy line, she can't help the smile that spreads on her lips. 

She knows that they have work to do, but as he leads her onto the dance floor, she can't help but smile. Because yes, they have work to do, but right now, right now they have this moment and as she feels him take her in his arms and pulls her close and the two easily fall into a familiar rhythm and move in perfect sync with one another, she can't imagine spending her Valentine's any other way. 


	3. Chapter 3

Caroline rushes down the steps out in the back to the place they agreed they would meet based on the blueprints they studied and memorized.

Thankfully, nobody seems to be out here and the chaos seems to have been contained to the front.

She thinks about how promising the evening had started. Thinks about the dance she’d shared with Klaus, how perfectly they’d seemed to fit together as he’d pulled her close, how easy it had been to fall into step with him but she can’t say she’s entirely surprised. Dancing had been one of their things even when they were supposed to be enemies.

Unfortunately, they hadn’t had gotten to share more than the one dance. Lucien and Aurora had come over shortly after and she’d reluctantly traded partners, all the while doing her best to hide her annoyance as she watched Aurora ply Klaus with flirty smiles and batted her perfect eyelashes at the hybrid. It didn’t seem to matter however, as the hybrid only kept looking back at her dancing with Lucien and when they'd made eye contact over the shoulders of both their dance partners from across the room, she felt her breath hitch as she felt a sudden surge of heat flood through her and for a moment, all she could see was him.

Lucien had excused himself shortly after their dance, slipping the combination of the safe into her hand as he brought up to his lips, smirking amusedly against her skin as he glanced behind her to where she could feel Klaus’ gaze boring into her.

She had barely had the chance to look back at the original when he’d come up beside her. His expression was unreadable but she didn’t get the chance to really speak to him as he’d quickly leaned in, almost as if he were pressing a kiss to her soft skin when he’d whispered against her ear, _“It’s time_.”

While certain that he’d heard the slight hitch in her breath as his lips brushed against her ear, he said nothing and merely pulled back to meet her gaze, a million unspoken words swimming in them but she picks up the silent question and nods.

Just like they’d planned, she’d excused herself to the bathroom and was in there studying the numbers Lucien had slipped to her when all hell broke loose.

Apparently Lucien’s idea of causing a distraction was starting a fire out in the guest house and she wasn’t sure what he’d used to start it, but it had spread incredibly quickly so now half the main house was caught in flames as well.

And now she’s scrambling, anxiously trying to find Klaus. He’d texted her only a couple of minutes ago, telling her that it was done and for her to meet him where they agreed. She’d quickly responded but hadn’t gotten another response from him.

So here she is, standing where they agreed but he’s nowhere to be found and she feels a dread that seems to go deep down to your bones start to grow with every passing second that she doesn’t see his familiar figure walking towards her.

_Where is he?_

She tries to keep calm, tell herself that maybe he got caught up and doesn’t want to draw attention to himself and appear suspicious, especially if he has the sword on him.

_But he would have let me know._

That terror and panic she’d experience a week ago are quickly building and suddenly it’s like she’s waiting in that alley way with Josh all over again, waiting to see the original come out unharmed.

_Where is he?_

Turning around almost frantically, the blonde scans around the grounds once more, the smoke from the fire making it harder to see but when she still doesn’t see anyone else coming, she makes up her mind. Maybe he’d be furious but she didn’t care. She just needed to know that he was safe. She needed to see it for herself.

She hurries back in the direction of the house using her hybrid speed and heads towards the part of the house where he was supposed to be looking. The part that’s now caught fire too.

Not for the first time, she’s thankful for her supernatural abilities that are allowing her to breathe here because the air is _really_ thick with the smoke from the fire and she knows if she were human, she would be coughing up a lung right now.

But she’s not human and she focuses all of her senses the way Klaus has taught her, looking for any sign of the original.

Caroline’s almost at the door and about to enter back into the burning house when she hears something. _Hears him._

She feels an overwhelming sense of relief that’s short lived because she knows. _Something is wrong._

Without thinking twice about it, she flashes to where she hears him and immediately stops dead at what she sees.

Klaus is there, kneeling on the ground with the sword tossed in front him. She can see that he’s trying not to scream in agony and rage, can see the blood dripping down his nose and onto his shirt, and she looks at the source of his pain.

A witch no older than her that she recognizes as one of the ones to work with Tristan is standing over him, her hand extended as she focuses her power on the original hybrid.

Caroline doesn’t hesitate, doesn't think twice. In the blink of an eye, she’s behind the witch that never sees her coming and in the next second, she’s standing over the witch’s lifeless body, her neck turned at an unnatural angle. She barely looks down at her, quickly diverting her attention back to the original who is now standing slightly shakily with the sword in his hand.

“Are you okay?” she asks as she hurries to try and help steady him.

He doesn’t answer, instead quickly focuses his gaze on her, his eyes frantically scanning over her, checking for any type of injury and she sees the sheer relief in his eyes when he finds none, feels it when he pulls her into his arms and quickly presses his lips to her temple.

She grips him just as tightly, needing that reassurance in that moment that he was also safe.

“Are you okay?” she repeats, her voice shaky and she doesn’t know when the tears formed in her eyes as she pulls back enough to look at him.

“I’m fine,” he assures her in a scratchy voice. “It was just an aneurysm. I’m fine.”

He pulls away even though it’s clear he doesn’t want to, but he doesn’t let go of her hand and she finds herself gripping it back tightly.

“Come on, love,” he murmurs. “We need to get out of here.”

She nods, and as the two hurry away with the sword in hand, they hear the sound of sirens out in the distance.

xxx

They don’t stop running until they reach the car he’d readied for them and then he’s driving them out of the city.

He doesn’t want to risk heading to the airport and running into some of Tristan’s men, especially if anyone had stumbled on the body they’d left behind.

“Are you alright?” he asks quietly and she knows he’s referring to the fact that she killed someone.

Killed someone for _him_.

“Yeah,” she replies a little unconvincingly after a moment. “I think I just need to process. But I mean, it had to be done right?”

He opens his mouth to speak but she quickly interrupts him.

“I’ll be fine Klaus, I really just need the time to process.”

He nods but doesn’t say anything else and the two lapse back into a tense silence.

“What about Rebekah?” she asks, unable to keep the worry out of her voice as they speed down a mostly empty road.

“She’s fine,” he assures her. “She flew back to New Orleans as soon as she left the hotel.”

She nods, feels like a small weight’s been taken off her.

“And Lucien?”

“He’ll also be fine,” he answers. “I saw him with Tristan while I was heading out to meet you. He doesn’t suspect a thing of Lucien’s involvement.”

She rests her head back in relief. _Good._ While he could certainly be obnoxious, the older vampire was kind of growing on her and would hate to see him get hurt for helping them.

“Did you know that he was going to set the place on fire?” she wonders. “Because a head’s up would’ve been nice.”

His lips quirk into the first semblance of a smile since they’d left the mansion.

“No. The bastard failed to mention that he would be burning half the place to hell. He probably figured I would object strenuously considering you and I were both still inside,” he adds with a wry smile.

He glances at her again.

“Are you certain you weren’t hurt anywhere?”

“No, I’m fine,” she assures him with a soft smile. “You’re the one who seems to have gotten the short end of the stick,” she frowns, looking at the dried blood he’d missed when he’d wiped it away.

She’s never suffered an aneurysm before but it looked like whatever the witch was doing was really hurting him and she wonders if he’s really okay or if he’s only pretending so as not to worry her-

“I’m fine,” he tells her, almost as if he could hear her every thought.

Or maybe it’s just that they were all written plainly on her face for him to read.

“Thanks to you,” he adds with the faintest of smiles.

“You would’ve done the same for me,” she replies and maybe she should be surprised by the confidence in her voice, but she’s not. She knows without a doubt that he would. “You _have_ done the same for me. More than once.”

She glances up at him almost nervously as she waits for him to say something since he doesn't answer right away.

“Don't paint me as hero, love. I assure you, my motive was entirely selfish,” he finally answers.

She doesn’t get to ask him what he means by that because he gets an incoming call from Elijah, informing him of some news in the quarter and wanting to know how it went. She only listens to first part of the conversation before she tunes out, resting her head against the cool glass window and thinks about what happened tonight. Thinks about the witch she killed without thinking twice and wonders what that means, what that says about her.

She closes her eyes and doesn’t realize when she falls asleep.

xxx

Klaus doesn’t wake her for the next few hours and when she opens her eyes, she sees the dim lighting of the parking lot he’s pulled into.

“Where are we?” she asks as she blinks awake, taking in her surroundings. “Are we still in Chicago?”

“No,” he replies. “We left it a while ago. I just thought we could stop here for the rest of the night? I think you’d get better rest than sleeping in a car.”

She nods and figures he could probably use with some rest too.

“Yeah, that sounds good,” she agrees.

It’s late so there’s not many people out in the small hotel parking lot. It’s a far cry from the last hotel he’d checked them into and she can’t help but wonder how many of these hotels Klaus has checked into?

The cool night air immediately hits her skin as soon as she steps out of the car and her dress while beautiful, did little to help shield her from the cold.

Klaus comes up beside her then and drapes his jacket around her shoulders.

“Thank you,” she says, giving him a small but grateful smile.

Out here, she feels like she sticks out in her dress that's ruined by the smoke and soot from the fire, which probably only draws more attention she realizes, so she quickly puts her arms through the sleeves and hugs the jacket closer to her, a part of her relishing in the scent of his cologne that hits her.

The two walk in silence toward the front desk to check in. It’s only when they’re there that she realizes there are probably no suites in this room so she wonders how the room situation will work? She wonders if they’ll get two rooms next to each other?

“I’m afraid I only have the one room,” the manager says regretfully as he reads the computer screen. “It’s busier because of the holiday, I’m sorry.”

_What?_

“But it’s a great room,” the manager rushes to assure them. “The bed is a king, so plenty of space for the two of you and the shower-”

She doesn’t hear what else he says, instead meets Klaus’ gaze as he turns to look at her.

“We can keep driving, if you’d like,” he offers. “I’m sure we could find another place a few miles from here.”

He’s giving her the choice and although the thought of sharing the same bed with Klaus makes her feel, she doesn’t even know what, she shakes her head and makes her decision.

“No, it’s fine,” she responds. “We don’t know that any other hotel will have any vacancies since it is Valentine’s.”

Or rather, it was. It’s after midnight now but small technicalities.

“You need rest,” she continues. “We both do,” she quickly adds when she sees him open his mouth to argue.

“Are you sure, love?”

“Yeah,” she tries to smile reassuringly. “I mean, as long as you’re not a bed hog or anything, I think it’ll be fine,” she tries to add teasingly.

He looks at her for a moment longer before turning to the manager and requesting the one room they have available.

A few minutes later, she’s following him into the small room clutching the strap of her bag so tightly, she’s surprised she hasn’t snapped it.

She’s nervous, _incredibly_ nervous about sharing a bed with him, especially after everything that’s occurred and her epiphany on her feelings towards the original, but she tries not to let it show.

She knows they have so much to discuss, not just about what happened tonight, but also the elephant in the room they haven’t addressed from a week ago but she doesn’t know how to bring it up. And maybe, she’s scared to.

So she decides that it can wait. She tells herself it’s not running or hiding. It’s just not the right time and timing is everything isn’t it?

“Were you going to want to shower first?” his voice pulls her out of her silent debate.

“I- oh yeah,” she answers with a nervous smile. “But you can go first if you want.”

“Go ahead, I should probably check back in with Kol,” he says.

She nods and grabs her bag again and barely makes it to the bathroom and shrugs off his jacket when she stops and realizes something.

Rebekah had helped her zip up because she couldn’t reach herself and unless she’s literally going to rip her dress off, she’s going to need help getting out of it too…

_Why didn’t you pick the dress that had the zipper on the side?_

Even though the dress is covered in soot and dirt and the smell of smoke clings to the fabric, there's still a part of her that wants to try and save it. So it looks like she's going to be asking for some help.

“Um, Klaus?” she says hesitantly as she steps back into the room. Hesitantly and maybe a tad nervously.

He looks up at her and she clears her throat a little awkwardly.

“Do you think… can you uh, help me out of my dress?”

He blinks at her, his gaze quickly flitting down to the gown and even though she and it are filthy, she doesn’t miss the way his gaze darkens some before he seems to collect himself and nods quickly.

“Of course.”

She’s not sure if she’s imagining it or his voice is actually a little huskier than it was moments ago.

But all other thought seems to leave her when she feels him stop right behind her so she can feel the heat radiating off of him. Her hair’s since come undone from the up-do she put it into at the start of the evening, so he moves the curtain of her hair off to the side, his fingers brushing against the nape of her neck as he does and she wonders if he notices the trail of goosebumps that he leaves in his wake.

If he does notice anything, he doesn’t comment. Instead, he moves his hand down to the zipper hidden in the material between her shoulder blades. It’s something so simple really, unzipping a dress, but the fluttering in her stomach is driving her insane and when she feels his fingers finally start to slowly work the zipper down, his knuckle lightly tracing along her spine as he does, it’s all she can do to keep from visibly reacting as her body begs for more of his touch. It’s all she can do to keep from turning around and throwing him down on that bed that’s so _so_ close and-

“There you are, love,” he says in a husky voice.

She doesn’t even have time to turn around when he’s gone back across the room and just like that, the spell is broken.

xxx

After a quick -and _cold_ \- shower, on her end at least, she’s lying in that large bed that feels too small knowing who she has to share it with.

She looks up when she hears him come out of the bathroom, done with his own shower, and she’s not sure if she’s more disappointed or relieved when she sees that he’s thrown on one of his Henley’s to sleep in.

He takes one look at her and chuckles.

“You know sweetheart, contrary to popular belief, I _am_ capable of sharing a bed,” he grins amusedly.

“What?”

_Oh._

She realizes that she’s basically laying on the edge of one side and tries to scoot over a little to the center of the bed without being too obvious. It's impossible since they're both entirely aware of what she's done of course, and this only seems to amuse him more.

Thankfully, he doesn’t say anything else and merely settles into the other side and flicks off the lamp. Neither one is right at the middle so there’s some space between them but even with this small space, he’s close enough that she can pick up his musky scent and she’s torn between wanting to widen that space on the bed between them and wanting to get rid of it altogether, to hold him close and not have to let go anytime soon.

She does neither.

Instead, she lays there on her side, facing away from him and towards the wall, trying to will sleep to come to her but just like the previous night, it seems sleep is once again going to evade her for as long as possible. She’s not sure how long she lays there, listening to the incredibly loud thoughts in her head that don’t seem to want to let her sleep and she wonders if he’s managed to fall asleep.

She lies there for a few more minutes before she caves to the temptation and turns around ever so slowly onto her side to face him and finds him lying on his back but even in the dark she can see that he’s as wide awake as she is.

He looks down at her when she turns and raises a brow when he finds that she's awake.

“Can’t sleep?” his voice sounds through the darkness.

“Guess not,” she tries to shrug nonchalantly. “You?”

“I find I have a harder time falling asleep in places outside of my home,” he confesses.

She thinks she knows why.

“Especially when I have something of value with me.”

She doesn’t ask him where the sword is, She knows it’s still hidden in his bag where he’d placed it as soon as they’d gotten into the car.

“Do you really think anyone is going to find us out here?” she asks curiously.

“I’ve learned never to take anything for granted and anticipate for anything.”

“If anybody does come, I’m going to be pissed because I just showered and changed into my PJ’s,” she tries to joke and sees him smile.

“Me too.”

She laughs a little at this before the two fall into a silence that seems incredibly loud.

“Thank you,” he says after a long moment and she looks up at him, finds him looking down at her with an almost vulnerable look in his eyes. “For helping me tonight.”

“Yeah,” she nods, silently cursing herself as she feels herself grow a little flustered.

She wonders if he notices as his eyes drink her in the way her own seem to be doing with him. Even in the darkness, this close, she can see his impossibly blue eyes that are fixed on her, can see the lines and freckles on his face that she traces with her eyes and wants to trace with her fingers. She thinks about this same devastatingly handsome face twisted in agony earlier, thinks about the absolute terror she’d felt when she saw him down on that ground.

She doesn’t even realize when she’s brought up her hand to trace those lines she’d just been tracing with her eyes and while he stiffens for a moment, he doesn’t say anything, doesn’t make any move to stop her.

And perhaps it's the cover of the darkness that seems to make her bolder, but she doesn't pull away. No, instead she traces a line up along the curve of his jaw, feeling the stubble lining it lightly scratch her finger. Her fingers continue their path higher, pushing back some of that soft hair she visibly remembers running her fingers through in that dark alley. She traces a line down again, smooths out the lines that mar his forehead, moves her fingers lower, traces down along the bridge of his nose, lightly traces the shape of those lips whose taste and feel she vividly remembers, traces all the way down the side of his neck, down to those moles she’d always noticed from a distance.

She feels him shudder, feels his burning gaze on her the entire time he allows her to explore him, but she keeps her eyes fixed on the expanse of skin she’s tracing and over his shirt to where she makes a trail down to chest, stops right above his heart. That's where she lets it linger for a moment before he finally,  _finally_ reacts. He moves his own hand to entwine it with hers where it rests over his heart.

She looks up at him then, finds him looking at her again like she’s the only person in the world. Like she’s the most beautiful thing he’s ever seen and she wants so badly to freeze this moment, to stay in it forever.

“Why’d you save me?” the words leave her lips before she can stop them but if she’s being entirely honest, she’s not sure if she did want to stop them.

She knows she doesn’t have to explain. That he’ll know exactly what she’s talking about.

She had only ever asked him this same question once, when she’d been angry and snapping at him shortly after she’d transitioned and he’d snapped right back at her.

_“Would you rather I have let you die?”_

They’d been at such a different place then and the question had come from a place of anger but tonight things are different,  _she's_ different, and it’s a question that’s been plaguing her for a while now. Even with what she'd learned from Bonnie earlier, she still wants to hear it from him, especially after his comment in the car earlier.

He looks away and doesn’t answer right away and she’s just thinking he’s not going to when he finally speaks.

"I couldn't picture existing in a world where you did not," he answers hoarsely. "I didn't want to... Like I said love, I was entirely selfish."

And yet, she knows that if she had asked him to, he would have let her die if that was what she wanted. He'd told her as much when she'd woken up and he had explained that she was in transition. He'd let it be her choice and apparently had been willing to do whatever it took to save her once she'd made it. 

Yes, he might be selfish but he'd proven he could be selfless with her even if it hurt him. And maybe it's this realization that makes any lingering fear all but melt away.

He’s still not looking at her and she brings up her hand to cup the side of his face to get him to look at her.

“Thank you for saving me,” she starts to say even as she sees him quickly shake his head.

“You have nothing to thank me for, Caroline,” he tells her. “I will always protect you.”

She hears the determination in his voice and she smiles a little, feels tears form in her eyes.

“I know,” she says, a tear escaping her and he frowns as he brings up his other hand and brushes it away with his thumb.

“Does that bother you?” he asks almost reluctantly.

“No,” she shakes her head with a watery smile. “No, these aren’t sad tears or anything like that I promise.”

“I’m not sure I follow, sweetheart,” he frowns and she can’t help the small smile that tugs on her lips.

“I’ve never had anyone outside of my mom and Bonnie care as much as you do about keeping me alive, keeping me safe,” she confesses. “You kept me from breaking completely when I first moved to New Orleans, even when I was awful to you and I never apologized for that-”

“You don’t have to,” he quickly interrupts her. “I don’t need your apologies, Caroline. As I’m sure you’re well aware, I myself tend to lash out when I’m angry. You were hurting," he says simply. "I didn’t need your apologies then and I don’t need them now. I just needed you to be alright. That is all I’ve ever needed from you.”

She can see the honesty in his eyes, hear it in his voice and she knows, if she hadn’t already fallen for this man, she certainly would in that moment.

“Thank you,” she whispers, leaning into his touch as she feels him wipe yet another tear away. “But I do owe you an apology. And for last week too.”

She feels him stiffen.

“Caroline, I believe if anyone should be apologizing it's me. I shouldn't have-”

“No, please let me say this,” she insists. “You were acting like a total jerk and I stick to some of the things I said, like you can't go around snapping my friend’s necks or anyone’s neck unnecessarily like that but some of the things I said...I wasn’t entirely fair to you. I was confused and angry. Angry at you for what you did to Josh and the way you were acting, but I was also angry that you were right when you said I was running away from this thing between us...and I didn’t want to face that you were right,” she confesses. 

He’s gone so deathly still but she can feel his heart thundering in his ribcage against the hand she still has resting there. The hand still entwined with his.

“I’m sorry for the things I said and for lying to you,” she continues in a quiet voice only he could hear. “Because you were right. I did feel the connection between us. I _do_. And it scared me.”

She sucks in a breath and meets his gaze again, sees him looking at her with such a raw vulnerability she’s never seen in him before, it makes her pull him closer and she breathes him in.

“But you were right,” she whispers, finding new strength and comfort from his warmth and scent. “And I also owe you a confession.”

She pulls back again just enough to meet his gaze, sees the hope in there that she knows he’s desperately trying and failing to keep at bay.

“About what I want,” she continues as she lightly strokes the side of his face.

Her gaze flickers down to his lips before flicking back up to meet his eyes again and she knows he's waiting for her next words, her next move.

So she moves in then, so slowly he could pull away if he wanted, but he doesn't and when her lips touch his again, it feels like coming home.

The kiss starts off slow and gentle, as if testing out the waters but soon, she’s wrapping her free hand around his neck and pulling him closer and he’s wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her so impossibly close and yet, it’s not close enough. It will never be close enough.

He kisses her harder, as if he has an all consuming hunger that only she can satisfy, and she responds just as eagerly, all the pent up tension and longing after so long pouring into that kiss.

Her head is swimming with the scent of him, his touch, his taste and he’s suddenly tearing his lips away just like the first time they’d kissed in that alley, and he's looking down at her almost warily.

“Are you sure, love?” he asks hesitantly.

She gives him a small smile then before she’s pulling back too and pushing him away. She sees his expression fall slightly before she’s hitching a leg over his waist and maneuvering herself so she’s now straddling him.

His hands automatically come up to rest on her waist, the heat from his hands burning even through the thin material of her tank and she looks down at him, sees him looking up at her with the lust clear in his eyes but beyond that, she can see all the unspoken feelings he hasn’t voiced. He doesn’t need to because he’s already proven to her over and over again with his actions. Even if she would like to hear the words at some point, she doesn't need for him to say them right now because she knows.

So she smiles down at him and leans in close enough so that her chest is brushing his, one hand tracing down to where his heart is again and that's where she keeps it before she meets his gaze again as she says her next words.

“I love you."

She hears his sharp intake of breath, feels him tighten his grip on her hips suddenly, almost like he needs to ensure that she's real. That this is real and he's looking at her like he can't believe it is and she decides she'll just have to prove to him that it is.

She leans in again, kisses the skin under his jaw and whispers against the skin there. _I love you_.

She moves to kiss his cheek and whispers the same thing. _I love you._

She presses a kiss to his forehead and whispers it again. _I love you._

She moves to his lips next, her own lips lightly brushing against his in a whisper of a kiss as she speaks so softly against them.  _I love you._

His lips completely capture hers then, and she knows he’s not testing the waters. He’s making a statement.

She smiles against his lips as she kisses him back with the same hunger and need and when she feels his hands drop down to the hem of her pajama tank and slip underneath, caressing the soft skin on the small of her back, she groans softly into the kiss before she tears her lips away and sits up.

He looks up at her, the confusion clear on his face but before he can speak, she grins and pulls her tank over her head, leaving her bare from the waist up. She bites the inside of her lip, feels the heat pooling low in her belly as his eyes hungrily drink in the expanse of skin bared before him. He makes to reach out for but she shakes her head and motions for him to sit up too.

"Your turn," she says as she motions for him to raise his arms.

He obliges her with a throaty chuckle. Even though he was more than capable of removing his own shirt, she wants to do it. Wants to feel the smooth skin of his muscles as she lets the pads of her fingers trail up his torso as she pulls up the material and she smiles when she feels the way his muscles clench under her touch as she does.

Once she's tossed his shirt aside, leaving him as bare from the waist up as her, she takes a moment to explore the newly exposed skin with her eyes before doing so with her hands and lips that quickly follow. He lets her explore him this way for a while, his own arms coming around her as his hands explore down her back and up her torso, his thumbs brushing against her nipples in a way that has her sucking harder on the skin under his jaw, a silent plea for more and he's too happy to oblige. 

He pulls back slightly, forcing her to do the same and he meets her gaze, kisses her again softly before ducking his head and starting to kiss a trail down the column of her throat, her neck, over her collarbone, down to her breasts where he kisses both tips almost unbearably softly but then he's encapsulating one into his mouth, his tongue swirling against her nipple and she's throwing her head back and fisting her fingers into his hair to keep him in place. He brings up another hand to cup her other breast, his thumb teasing the rosy nipple into a hard peak before he switches sides.

She's lost in the sensations, helpless to stop the noises that come spilling from her lips, too lost in everything about that moment, his touch, his taste, but it's not enough. She doubts she'll ever be able to get enough of him. 

Her own hands find their way down to the hem of his sweatpants, slipping underneath and confirming her suspicions that the original hybrid had no problems going commando. She smiles at the hiss that escapes his lips as she begins stroking him and she wants to prolong this, to tease him for as long as she can, but he has other plans. 

He quickly rids her of the last of her clothing and she does the same with him but when he makes to reverse their positions, she stays firm and he relents with another throaty chuckle and as she sinks down onto him, taking him fully in, they both suck in a breath and she meets his gaze again. Sees those blue eyes impossibly bright as he tucks a strand of hair back gently before he’s kissing her again as she begins to move. 

She starts off slow, wanting to savor everything about this moment for as long as she can, but soon her need for him is too much and by the way he's gripping his hips as he helps guide her movements, she knows he's feeling the same and she decides that there will be time for slow and gentle later. 

She kisses him fervently in an attempt to stifle her moans so she doesn't wake any of their neighbors while he keeps up his movements, his hips meeting her enthusiastically while his hands roam down her back and up to her breasts again. He continues, pounding into her until all she can say is his name over and over again, shouting it when he finally pushes her over the edge.

"You're incredible," he breathes out, a dimpled grin lighting up his face as he pushes her hair back and kisses her.

She smiles against his lips, nips at the bottom one lightly before pulling away and looking down at him.

"For the record, I'll always protect you too," she promises, her gaze and voice unwavering, pushing his hair back in a gentle caress when she sees him swallow, a flash of emotion crossing his eyes that she thinks he understands, especially when he captures her lips in a searing kiss that means more than any others that they've shared.

When she pulls back, she rests her forehead against his, relishing in the moment for a while longer.

"Now," she finally speaks, pulling back a little to meet his gaze. "I only have one more question and it's probably the most important question I've asked you all night so I need you to be 100% honest ok?"

He nods a little hesitantly and she has to bite back a smile.

"Will you be my Valentine Klaus Mikaelson?" she asks and as she sees the almost bewildered expression that crosses his face before he shoots her a look, she's unable to contain her laughter any longer and soon his laughter is mixing with her and he's kissing her again, tossing her back on the bed and silencing her giggles with another searing kiss.

They spend the rest of the night in each other’s embrace, exploring each other, exchanging smiles, kisses, and whispered confessions. When they finally fall back into a bed, an exhausted tangle of sweaty limbs, she smiles as she feels him tug her close to him and she goes willingly, resting her head against his chest, right above his heart, exactly where she could see herself always.

It’s with this thought that she finally starts dozing off but right before sleep fully overtakes her, she hears him softly whisper into her hair.

 _“_ I love you, Caroline.”

She doesn’t say anything, she doesn’t need to and when she finally falls asleep, the smile still lingers on her face.

xxx

The next day she finds herself thinking about all that’s happened in the last 24 hours alone. They now have the sword that has the key they need in finding the cure. She and Klaus not only sorted out their issues, they’re closer than they’ve ever been. She thinks about that morning shower they’d shared together and blushes as she thinks about all the things she’d screamed with her hands braced against the cool porcelain. 

Yeah, they were _definitely_ closer than they’d ever been.

At least now she can text Katherine about _exactly_ how good Klaus was with his tongue and make her equally uncomfortable she thinks with a devious smirk.

She feels his hand settle on the small of her back as he presses a kiss to the side of her neck.

”Ready, love?”

She turns to face him, helpless to return the smile that he gives her and she slips her hand into his. 

“For anything.”

”Anything?” he adds with a mischievous grin, the heated look in his eyes making her lightly smack his arm even as she tries to fight the stab of arousal that she feels with just a simple look alone.

He laughs, the sound wrapping around her and making her heart flutter. 

And as the two walk towards the car, hands entwined as they head to their next adventure, she almost laughs as she thinks how this is all a far cry from where she’d been when they’d first started this trip. Oh, if only she’d known all that was coming her way.

But she smiles because one thing she had known since the start: this was definitely not her average Valentine’s. On the contrary, it had been the best one yet. 


End file.
